The Mail Online has taken this story and given it the tabloid treatment. The headline on its piece is: ‘Who needs Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Magazine for barristers earning £300,000 a year recommends bargain wines from Aldi, Lidl and Morrisons for less than £8 (and it proves expensive plonk is not always better)’.

While it is undeniable some top barristers earn into the hundreds of thousands, the bar’s fat cat stereotype needs to be rethought. Bar Council data shows that while 16% of barristers (approximately 2,500) do, indeed, earn over £240,000, 13% of the profession (roughly 2,000) make do with £30,000 or less.

These earnings estimates do not factor in that key overheads need to be deducted, such as travel, insurance and office space, which the Bar Council estimates “together account for about half of a barrister’s turnover.” Taking this all into account, very few barristers will be on £300,000 a year (a figure restated in the tabloid piece’s first paragraph). Indeed, Regan quipped to Legal Cheek:

Maybe counsel working for the Mail earn £300k a year!

To the newspaper’s credit, the ‘all barristers are balling’ message is tempered with some much-needed wisdom further down the piece (though note the silks gaffe):

[A] barrister’s salary can vary widely depending on what type of law they practice and what chambers or organisation they work for. Some silks, who are all self-employed, earn as little as £12,000 in the first year of qualifying.

Furthermore, some understanding of the vast differences in advocate earnings has shone through in the comments section. One reader said most advocates are “barely solvent these days”, given that “rates have remained the same since 1992”. Another comment read: “Criminal barristers turn over around £70k a year and make around £30k if they are lucky). The only ones who drag the average up to £60k do eg shipping, tax etc”.

Not everyone’s so sure. The replies to the above £30k a year comment include: “absolutely incorrect” and “You are so wrong! They earn a hell of a lot more than that.” A fellow Mail Online enthusiast said: “At £1,000pa, working, say, 46 weeks and 40 hours per week ought to come to £1.84 Million by my calculator”. While one reader commented: “ive never heard of any suck low paid lawyers ever except the ones still training doing their articles.”

Despite the mixed comments, Regan told us that, overall, he’s pretty happy with the Mail Online piece. He also said:

Speaking for myself, not Sean, I get more feedback on wine writing than anything I have ever written about civil procedure. Strange but true.

Anonymous

Finbar

That is what OP said… Also – *an. I was going to comment on how you wasted your time ( and in a sense I now have), but sadly I have now wasted more time than that responding.

(3)(4)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 12:55pm

The public would get a shock if the BSB published the statistics about the number of barristers going bust.

HMRC is killing off a lot who have had their income slashed and can’t afford to pay their bills.

I bet there are a lot of staff at the Daily Fail who get £300K a year for writing pure shite such as the article referred to.

(13)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 17 2017 8:23am

That’s the trouble with being at the independent Bar. You’re always using current income to pay last years taxes, and if your income goes down, HMRC decide to bankrupt you so you can’t practise. One of the reasons many counsel work til they drop- they’re always chasing the last tax bill.

Main reason I went in house before it was too late and haven’t looked back…

(0)(0)

Curious George

Jul 14 2017 1:55pm

Real counsel please publish (albeit anonymously)

– Area of law
– Call
– In house/Chambers

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 5:10pm

Crime. In house. 8yrs call. £50K.

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 5:58pm

Crime. Chambers. £110k. 12 years call.

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 9:00pm

Insolvency/3 year practising (5 year call)/£205k (gross)

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 11:42pm

PI//7 year call/£387k (gross)

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 16 2017 10:16pm

bullshit

(2)(1)

Anonymous

Jul 17 2017 8:37am

I billed over 1,500 hours of work on CFA’s at £250 per hour. Do the math.

(2)(0)

Wig jockey

Jul 17 2017 7:50pm

Public law/human rights (defendant). Chambers. 190k (gross)

(1)(0)

Wig jockey

Jul 17 2017 7:54pm

Forgot to add….7 years’ Call

(0)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 21 2017 3:14pm

Commercial. Chambers. 350k.

So the Mail was right about me!

(0)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 2:23pm

Writing an article to complain about another article complaining about a wine advisory leaflet.

Katie King classic! Boring, uninformative drivel.

#FlingtheKing #MakeLCgreatagain

(7)(4)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 2:25pm

Her mind works in magical ways

(4)(0)

Lord Hoffman

Jul 14 2017 2:27pm

#SackKatieKing

(4)(5)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 2:59pm

NO! Don’t say such nasty things. She is a goddess.

(4)(1)

Blackstone Boi

Jul 14 2017 4:07pm

I earn well over £300k.

(1)(0)

Impoverished lawyer who hasn't even hit the top tax bracket

Jul 14 2017 4:51pm

Please sir, will you buy me a sandwich?

(3)(0)

Blackstone Boi

Jul 14 2017 5:26pm

No – go and scrounge for some gristle elsewhere.

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 14 2017 5:48pm

Looks like he is after your gristle.

(0)(0)

Impoverished lawyer who hasn't even hit the top tax bracket

Jul 14 2017 5:50pm

One day you will suffer for your greed

(2)(0)

Anonymous

Jul 16 2017 8:11pm

Sean Jones QC will earn over £300,000 per year.

Why all the faux outrage?

Criminal barristers love to talk about how little they earn, but this piece wasn’t about you. So just go back to comparing cock sizes with your colleagues at the criminal bar – the rest of us don’t want to hear.